The Snake's Kiss
by TheMusicalPoet
Summary: Why did Lord Voldemort REALLY kill Harry Potter's parents? Snape and Tom Riddle were involved, but something or someone tore them apart. Snape's intentions lay elsewhere. Terror ensues. Best read after DH. SSLP and bits of Slashfic SSLV. R&R, pleeease!
1. Chapter 1

Young Severus Snape sat placidly in a chair in a dark room, lit only by a modest fireplace which cast ominous shadows on the surrounding wall. His long, black hair hung into his eyes, on a face that was already fraught with subtle wrinkles which would soon sink into deep crevices over his skin. His brow was furrowed, his thin lips parted slightly. He looked pensive, but also irritated. He appeared to be waiting for something, or someone.

A door opposite the fireplace creaked open, but permitted no further light into the room. A man stood on the threshold. Snape remained quite still apart from the slight twitch of his head towards the man.

"Severusss..." The name was spoken with soft hiss.

"Tom," replied Snape. He had not moved, his legs firmly planted before the chair, his hands resting on his knees.

"Sssurely," Tom said with a quiet, throaty rasp, "I get a better welcome than that."

Tom walked towards Snape in his chair, the shadow behind him long and disfigured. He was tall and thin, not broad, but very lean. A distinct outline of his musculature was hinted beneath his black robes. Short, dark hair in disarray was swept away from his eyes, which were fine like slits beneath dark eyebrows. His nose was small with large nostrils, and he had a strong, masculine chin. His mere presence commanded power, but Snape did not budge.

"Tom Riddle, I told you not to come here again," Snape said coldly.

Hardly dejected, Tom swept behind the high-backed armchair and draped his hand onto Snape's shoulder. He squeezed it with a surprising gentleness.

"What happened to usss, Severuss?" Tom said. Snape's eyes closed, for pain or pleasure it is hard to be sure. "What happened to our plan? What happened to our quest for the... Wand..."

Snape sneered. "I lost interest."

Tom spun around to face him, descending on his knee. "No you haven't. I know you haven't. We talked about it so much; the power, the possibilitiesss. I know you wanted--want--this as much as I do. So what happened for real, Severusss?"

Snape, being calm, swung one slender leg over the other and gripped the arms of the chair. His young face now showed great distress.

"I think you ruined our chances of having any sort of friendship, Tom." Snape stared blankly.

Tom considered. "I remember that day well. You told me off. You told me to leave. But you never told me _why_. Why, Sev?"

"I'd rather not say. You understand my wishes and if you respect me even a fraction, you will leave now." Snape suddenly stared at Tom.

Tom replied, "But it was you who acquiesssced to see me, simply by being here. What else could you possibly believe that I wanted other than your forgivenesss when I sent you that message by owl to be home this evening and wait for me?"

"I live here," Snape retorted. "I would not have you force me to leave my own house."

"I didn't attempt to force you. I left you a choice."

"You let yourself in."

"You left the door open."

Silence.

Tom continued. "Tell me why you turned on me that day at Hogwartsss when we were so close to what you and I know we both badly desire..."

Snape was frustrated now. He sat forward in his chair, wringing his hands and staring into Tom's imploring eyes. They had in fact been friends. Good friends. The best of. He had met Tom in his fifth year when he had managed to sneak in to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, searching for the legendary Wand. Snape had caught him but, in exchange for not being ratted out, Tom shared his mission and the two hit it off. Snape had needed someone like Tom just when he arrived. Life at school was hard, what with James Potter and his cronies running aloof. Tom was the perfect role model, years older than him and so very very intriguing. He inspired in Snape a newfound lust for power and the Dark Arts. Their friendship had become something unlike Snape had ever experienced, until...

"Tom, if you need a place to stay, I can offer you that. I know you have been in hiding for some time now. But... my decisions, I promise, are final. I prefer not to disclose my reasons, as they are my own and I feel liberated to keep them to myself."

Tom Riddle looked visibly upset, but also tattered and tired and welcomed Snape's hospitality, even if it was far from what he actually wanted.

Snape gathered up linens and made a bed for Tom, who watched him carefully with a longing contentment. It was just like old times, before everything got messed up. For some reason. Tom's head cocked to the side as Snape bent over to tuck the sheets into the pullout couch. _As firm and delicious as ever, Severusss. I will have you yet..._

Snape bid a hasty goodnight to Tom, who bowed graciously, and retired quickly to his room.


	2. Chapter 2

Young Severus Snape could not sleep. He lay in his bed, his sheets twisted around him uncomfortably, tossing and turning. His hair stuck to his sweat covered face. It was torture for him to think of Tom Riddle in the next room, likely thinking about him. He was certainly persistent, if nothing else. He was never supposed to come back. Life had been miserable since the incident; the last thing he needed to deal with was Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Snape let out a quiet growl as he pulled himself out of bed and sauntered over to the closet door of his bedroom. Rather than clothes--for he had very few--the shelves were lined with jars and canisters of various ingredients, each meticulously labeled and sorted by his own, self-invented system. He snatched a spellbook from the top shelf, upon which were numerous books of that sort, and cradled it in his arms. His dark eyes poured over the cover, reading _Potions For The Subconscious Mind_. He swept through the pages, finally finding one with the instructions on how to concoct a powerful sleeping potion. Of course he could easily make a simple run-of-the-mill potion to cause fatigue and drowsiness, but Snape had become resistant to said recipes, much like an avid coffee drinker being resistant to caffeine. He needed something more potent, and this new, much-revered spellbook he'd purchased not two months ago always did the trick. Snape suffered terribly from the symptoms of insomnia and there was no doubt in his mind about what caused them.

An ironing board-like platform swung gently down from inside the closet and Snape began to toss the ingredients into a tiny, single-serving cauldron: tea extract, plantain juice, nimgrub pulp, dandytiger puree, eye of skrewt, minced harvabeans, dried lemon peel, mixed into a base of warm water, dried thestral milk, and sleepybrush oil. All this he stirred for twenty seconds clockwise, followed by two minutes and two sections counterclockwise.

The aroma from the cauldron made Snape's eyes droop. His head felt pleasantly light. He hardly even noticed when a veritaserus plant needle fell into the bubbling brew; the very ingredient listed on the next page to induce vivid dreams, on top of an extremely deep and impenetrable sleep. Blissfully unaware, knees wobbling beneath his gray night robe, Snape drank the cauldron in full, afterwards licking the frothy substance from his lips. Fatigue hit him like a wave of melted iron and it was all he could do to stumble backwards from the closet and land himself onto his bed. He clambered between the blankets and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Dreams flooded his subconscious almost instantly.

_Severus Snape was sitting idly by a thick brush of trees on the edge of Hogwarts school grounds. The fifteen year old was completely alone and carving "LSFVR" into the dirt with a long stick that he held in a pale, white hand. In the distance, a few kids strutted up the field away from the Whomping Willow. Two he recognized as Sirius Black and James Potter. There were a few others he did not know. Tailing along at the end was the roan-headed Lily, one of his dearest friends since before they'd arrived at Hogwarts. Her hair cascaded carelessly down her back, blowing like her robes in the scented autumn wind. _

_"You are lovely," he whispered quietly, watching her intently from many yards away. She turned around, as if having somehow heard him, and waved to him, smiling largely. His heart fluttered and he felt warm inside. _

_Then he heard a twig snap somewhere behind him. He turned around, peering deep into the forest. _

_"Oi! Anyone there?" Snape's youthful voice rang out. Silence._

_Suddenly, he was thrust to the ground and a dark figure raced past him, lunging up the field towards the castle. He looked particularly out of place, being much too old for a student and much too peculiar for a teacher. The running stranger had an air of mischief to him that some Slytherins can smell as keenly as a bloodhound stalking a criminal, as if their sixth sense might lead them to towards a chance to engage themselves in it as well._

_Snape took off like a hippogriff on Bertie Bott's, running clear towards the sprinting culprit, his wand in hand. Snape was abnormally fast, his lean, muscular legs carrying him beyond the speed of an average boy. The man hardly had a chance as Snape closed in on him, launching himself onto his back and hollering"Arresto Momentum!" _

_The man stopped instantly and Snape soared awkwardly over him, landing face first into a nearby hedge. He scurried out to survey his victim, brushing his hair from his black eyes. The man was somewhat young, with dark, wavy locks. He looked handsome, in a snaky sort of way. His nostrils flared open and closed as he caught his breath._

_"Who are you?" Snape asked, drawing his wand._

_The man stared, his eyes wild like an animal's. _

_"Who are you?" Snape said again, more pronounced._

_The man considered and then answered, "Tom Marvolo Riddle."_

_Snape seemed unsure of what to do next. He decided to ask, "Why were you running so fast?" It sounded strange. Anyone could run wherever they wanted to at Hogwarts. Why should he ask? But Snape held firm._

_"I..."_

_"I can easily get the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, to figure it out," Snape threatened._

_"No!" Tom snapped. Snape stepped back. "No don't," he said again, more softly._

_Snape looked uncertain. "You're not a student here, are you?" _

_"No."_

_"Are you a teacher?"_

_"No."_

_"I'm going to get Dumbled--"_

_"What house are you in?" Tom asked suddenly._

_"... Slytherin."_

_"I was too." _

_Snape was caught off guard. "Why..?"_

_Tom disregarded the question."Why are you alone, boy?"_

_"I... Well... I suppose..."_

_"... no one wants to be around you?"_

_Snape winced at the comment. He thought of Lily. _That's not true_. "Perhaps," he responded._

_"Boy, what is your name?" Tom's snake-like eyes followed him as Snape shifted on his feet._

_"Severus."_

_Tom almost smiled. "I need you to help me Severus."_

_"Why?" Snape clutched his wand tightly._

_"How about I let you in on a little secret?"_

_"Umm... OK."_

_"Sit, Severus," Tom suggested, and he did._

_"What would you do if you could have more power than any of your teachers combined, Severus? More power than even the entirety of the whole Ministry of Magic?"_

_Snape thought. "I'm not sure."_

_"Think."_

_"I suppose it would be OK."_

_Tom did not look convinced. "You haven't many friends, have you Severus?" _

_Snape shook his head. _

_Just imagine having the power to make everyone in the world like you. To be the greatest wizard that ever lived, to be the most adored and the most revered. To be the most famous. To be the most powerful."_

_Snape's dark eyes lit up. "To be the most loved." He thought of Lily._

_Tom's eyes narrowed into slits. "Yes, I suppose." He surveyed him thoughtfully. "But my, you are, perhaps, a strange Slytherin... The point _is _power."_

_Snape was very intrigued. "But how..?"_

_"There is a wand. A very special and powerful wand. Legendary. Unmatched. And I'm looking for it. I need to find this wand, Severus, and I think it might be here at Hogwarts."_

_"So what can I do?"_

_Tom considered the question. "I'm going to stay here on the grounds. I want you to help me. Hide me. Bring me food, parchment, quills, information. Perhaps do some searching for me."_

_By then, Snape had almost already said yes. Here was a man that seemed to understand him, that was patient and interested in him, with ideas about power; the power to win over even most ignorant of people. Black. Potter. He swallowed. Lily. Someone _needed_ him for what seemed like the first time in his life._

_While lost in his thoughts, Snape hardly heard the remainder of Tom's instructions. "... and then I'd wait out here by the Whomping Willow..."_

_"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Snape asked, fearing that he might have missed something vastly important._

_"No. If you sidle up behind it, unseen--though that's hard to do--there is a passageway. Follow it to come find me."_

_"Where does it lead?" _

_"To the Shrieking Shack." _

_Snape nodded, his gaze intense._

_"Severus. I know we've only just met, but I think we could really help each other out. More than you might think." Tom smiled, and Snape smiled back. "When you're alone, don't hesitate to come see me. I myself have been alone far too much these days and could use the company. Farewell, Severus."_

_Snape nodded and then waved as he scurried up the field towards the castle, a grin he swore would never cease to exist engraved on his face._

_"Bye, Tom."_

Snape stirred restlessly in his sleep, and then began to thrash in his bed. His body convulsed in a fit, his eyes still shut tightly, his skin lucid and white. He could feel panic rush through him as the potion wore off of his body. He began to moan and was soon screaming uncontrollably. Two arms grabbed hold of him roughly, holding him down, and his eyes flashed open. He lay still, in shock. Bright sunlight poured into his room, causing his head to sear with pain. He could see very little. When his vision returned, he saw Tom Riddle standing over him, looking rather severe.

"Tell me why you hate me."


	3. Chapter 3

"Get back, Tom!" Severus Snape shouted, leaping from his bed.

Tom Riddle stood in his place, silently but still angrily.

"Get back, I said!"

"I have not moved," Tom whispered.

Snape was now standing, leaning against the edge of his bed, his gray robes damp with sweat. He head was still spinning and he was nowhere near his wand. He felt ill from the potion and feared he would be sick.

"I heard you sscreaming."

Snape stared, breathing quickly and feeling very faint.

Tom's voice was not as angry as his face was. It was rather calm. "Severus, I came in because I heard you screaming. You were screaming about me, ssaying that you hate me, that you wissshed I was dead."

Snape realized that the anger he saw and feared was actually resentment and pain. It had looked so foreign on such a serpentine face.

Tom pressed, reaching carefully to lay his hand on Snape's shoulder. He spoke with an air of reluctant reasoning. His words were rational and carefully chosen, so unlike the overachieving miscreant that he was. "I know that I did sssomething years ago. Something you haven't forgiven me for. I am here to discover what that is, Severuss."

As Snape stared into Tom's strange and handsome face, he recalled so vividly the dreams that he'd had before he woke. It was such curious time in his life, to have met such a strange friend whom he soon would come to care for very dearly in a way he was certain he didn't understand. He had been so thoughtful, so inquisitive, and so willing to share his secret. During their time together, both Tom and the power that he promised had seduced Snape into a very unique relationship. There were even times, before his final year at Hogwarts, that he was happy despite the terrors going on around him. It was all thanks to Tom.

Snape's face contorted with uncertainty, his heart torn between that of love and that of hate for the dark wizard.

Tom took pity on the ill wizard and decided, rather, to wrap his arms around him. Snape did not resist, too tired to consider proper reason. He fell against Tom, who lifted him back on to the bed.

"Sssix years since I've seen you, Severusss," Tom whispered, removing Snape's wet robes. "Surely long enough to forgive whatever sin I committed."

Snape merely groaned, his chest and arms now exposed. He began to shiver, his complexion as pale and white as ever, with a slight tinge of green. He looked awful.

Tom continued to work, saying, "I think that we ought to put it behind usss. I have made such great advancess on our quessst; the one we planned to fulfill together." Tom had further removed the bottom half of Snape's nightclothes, leaving only a modest pair of black boxers. He removed his own clothing and used them to wipe the condensation off of Snape's lean, muscular frame. He flexed beneath Tom's touch, now seeming half delirious, the warm glow radiating into the room making the display seem rather heavenly.

"I musst have hurt you. You never returned my owlsss. You never tried to contact me. You should know that you hurt me too. Everything that I have ever done sssince the day I met you has only been for your best interessst. While we were apart, I never forgot about you and what I promisssed I could give you: the power of the legendary wand." Tom had tossed his clothes onto the floor and was now, like Snape, clad in boxers. He climbed into the bed and wrapped his body around the shivering wizard, the sunlight warming them all the more. Snape was half asleep, if not completely mesmerized by Tom's discourse.

"Let me tell you a story. A true ssstory." Tom ran his fingers through Snape's hair, their legs entwined, their breathing now relaxed and in sync. "There was once was a wizard who desssired power so that he could improve the wizarding world as he saw fit. But he couldn't do it alone. One day, on his quessst, he met a very curious and promisssing young man that he knew he could trussst, so the two became friends. Best friendsss.

"For two years, while the young wizard finished school, the other stayed in hiding. But they were clossse and they made plansss together. They made plans to use their power to create a super race of witches and wizards. They made plans to conquer landsss and maximize full magical potential within themselvesss, all for the purposes of becoming the greatest wizards to ever live. It was exciting; intoxicating.

Tom gazed at Snape, still half-conscious but no longer shivering. "Severusss, I think you knew how I felt about you. I had been alone a long time before you caught me dashing across the grounds at Hogwarts. While I know you were ssscared, you never looked away when I held your gaze, and you did not flinch when I touched your hand." Tom reached for Snape's hand and he snapped into consciousness, though remained unmoving.

"I loved you, Severusss. And you broke me the night you shunned me from your life. When I approached you, in the shrieking shack, I wanted to do something outrageous but you ssspoke first. You told me to leave. You told me I was desspicable. You told me you never wanted to ssee me again. Oh, Severuss..." Tom's head was pressed against Snape's shoulder. Snape was well aware of what was going on and what it meant. It was making him furious. Nothing Tom's wicked eyes closed in reverie, he reached out towards his night table and fumbled for his wand. He tucked it close to him as Tom finished.

"... All I wanted to do was kiss you."

Snape went instantly cold with rage.

"Homo repellus!" he shouted, causing Tom to fall backwards off the bed and crashing to the floor. Snape wrapped himself in the white bed sheet and stood on the opposite side of the bed, wand at the ready.

Tom reached for his own wand, which he'd left in his robes, and acted faster than Snape, yelling, "Crucio!"

Snape was met with a onslaught of sheer agony. It was low blow, however elementary. He stood, frozen in pain, a steady stream of green light pouring from Tom's wand.

"I wondered," Tom said, walking slowly around the bed towards Snape, "if you would in fact be as ssstubborn as I thought you to be all those yearsss you didn't contact me. All you had to do was tell me but you've only ever kept it bottled inssside! I knew something wasss wrong! You were less and lessss emphatic about our quessst with each passing day! Something was keeping you from reaching your goal, and it disgustsss me!"

Snape's eyes were wide with pain, small squeaks and groans resounding in his throat as he fought through the agony.

Tom was close enough now to touch the paralyzed Snape. He reached out and grabbed him forcefully around the neck, his nails biting his flesh. "You weak, weak wizard." Snape looked positively tortured. "You are weak. You are pathetic. You are an embarrassment to Slytherins everywhere!"

At this, Snape pried himself free of the grasp, outraged by the accusation, of having been taken advantage of. Deep down, he knew he was right. He did not love Tom Riddle. He scrambled towards his wand but was too slow once again.

"Petrificus totallus!"

Snape froze. Silence ensued.

"You will now addressss me as Lord Voldemort, Severusss Snape." Tom's body began to deform, his body looking more snakelike than ever. "The truth is, I always planned to continue my quest without you anyways. I could never forgive you for what you said to me. The wand will be mine and you will bow down before me, your Lord.

"And now, Severusssss, I will find out exactly what it was that raped your nerve and sent it recoiling into the shadows with the likes of a measley Gryffindor! VERITASERUS IMAGIO!"

Tom had conjured from Snape's mind a mirage of one of his final days at Hogwarts, prior to the completion of his seventh year.

_Snape sat by the river in Hogsmeade, alone as usual. After a few minutes, Lily arrived, and for once she was without Potter and his friends. She wandered over to him, looking troubled._

_"Why are you alone here, Severus?"_

_"What does it matter? You should go and be with your real friends."_

_"I'm sorry, Sev, about not being around you, but I cannot bear it. You've changed. And not for the good, I'm afraid. I think we're just too different."_

_Snape looked hurt. "I haven't changed." A pause. "What do you expect me to do? You ditched me, Lily. For those toads, James and Sirius."_

_Sadness appeared in her eyes. "I'm afraid that that is a grave you dug yourself. All this talk about power, about ruling the world... I fear it is crippling your mind, Severus. Power can encapsulate a man inside himself so that he sees nothing beyond it. I wish the best for you, and I hate to see you alone, but..."_

_"Oi, Lily! What yeh doing talking to that rat?" James Potter's voice was loud and clear. A crowd of followers filed in behind him as he approached them._

_"Come on, James," Lily protested._

_"I really don't know what you see in him," Sirius Black said._

_Snape's face twisted with discomfort. Suddenly, he was hoisted into the air and tossed around. As his vision spun he could see James flicking his wand back and forth, round and around. He felt sick._

_"Stop it, James!" Lily shouted._

_"Stay away from us, you rotten mudblooded Slytherin!" James yelled._

_Suddenly, James and his lot were thrown to the ground by and invisible force. Lily remained standing. Tom Riddle across a threshold of trees, holding his wand._

_"What right do you have to pick on this young man?" Tom shouted._

_"Who the 'ell are you?" Sirius demanded._

_"A friend of Severus'."_

_Despite his obvious disadvantaged, James sneered. "Snapey's got a girlfriend."_

_Tom glared. "And what if he does!"_

_Snape's eyes bulged with fury. He leapt to his feet but it was too late. The spell had been cast and the entire lot was launched into the river. Lily coughed and spluttered, as did the others. Snape was mortified._

_"We'll get you yet!" Tom yelled._

_"Dumbledore's coming!" James yellow, struggling to stay afloat._

_"Come on, Severus! Let's go!" Tom hustled into the forest._

_Snape, however, stood where he was. The Gryffindors managed to pull themselves out of the river just as Dumbledore had arrived. The culprit seemed rather easy to distinguish from the rest of them._

_"Severus," Dumbledore said solemnly. "I want you to be waiting at my office door as soon as you get back to Hogwarts. Magic like this is unforgivable at my school." He turned and walked away._

_Lily was soaked and shivering. She approached Snape and stared at him coldly. "I knew you'd gone mad, but I never thought you'd go this far. I... I just can't look at you, Severus. Good-bye!"_

_The wet Gryffindors shuffled off down the road leaving Snape to himself. He began to cry uncontrollably, his body shaking without restraint._

_"I hate you, Tom Riddle," he whispered, as if swearing it to the world. "I hate what you've made me become. I hate what you've made be believe. I hate what you've done to her... Oh, Lily..."_

And that was enough.

"You loved her," Tom said, as if making some great discovery. Then he shrieked it. "YOU LOVED HER!"

He used his wand to thrash Snape up against the wall of his bedroom, knocking him clean unconscious. Blood trickled from his forehead when Tom finally put him down.

"I know now what I must do."


End file.
